Publication Order of Company Short Story Collections

The “Company” series of novels by award winning author Kage Baker is from the time travel and science fiction genres of fiction. It is Baker’s most popular series that she ever wrote. This series has both stories, and novels to it. The series is one of the most popular from the contemporary science fiction genre. The series started in the year 1997, when the first novel in the series was released. It ended in the year 2012 when the final novel (which was completed by Baker’s sister, Kathleen Bartholomew) was released. It was based off of notes that were extensive and written by Baker.

It is set in the 24th century, but there are limitations to what can be done. Recorded history is not something that can be changed. They can take valuable things that were supposed to have been lost in events in time and then find them again later on. There are no dangers of time travel, but travelers (who have to be cyborgs) can only go backwards or return to the present.

To fulfill the mission, employees were sent way back before humans existed to take kids from both Neanderthal and modern families. Then they get immortality treatment, and are promised a great future in the 24th century. They have to work for them until then the old fashioned way. They can take kids who would die and not change history one way or the other and use them for help in their mission.

These travelers are not affected by diseases that humans get, and drugs and alcohol have no affect either. That being said, chocolate has the same effect that booze or pot might on a human. It is their narcotic of choice. Consuming too much chocolate brings on a hangover; to get rid of a hangover, a cyborg must eat a lot of complex carbohydrates (examples of these include fettuccine alfredo and pizza). Humans that work for the Company do no like the servants over indulging on chocolate and getting intoxicated. But they can do nothing to prevent this from happening.

These cyborgs have built many facilities, that are complex in design. They can be used as starting points when they do a mission, and to use as a place to gather when they get some new recruits. This is due to the fact that there are not many of these cyborgs.

Human bones are replaced with ferroceramic steel, and joints replaced with things like ball joints and other linkages. The tissues that remain are taken over by nanobots that use the human’s own DNA to rebuild and even regenerate organs that have been damaged. Since DNA starts degrading right at birth, that is why only children who are still young can be given the treatment.

The employees at Dr. Zeus all hate the past and are disgusted by its inhabitants. People from the future are afraid of diseases and dirt. It is compulsory to be a vegetarian, and drugs (both narcotics and stimulants) are banned.

“The Empress of Mars”, which is a novella that is set in this universe won a Theodore Sturgeon and got a Hugo nomination. Another novella called “The Women of Nell Gwynne’s” won the 2009 Nebula Award for the Best Novella. She won the award after she had died. The series has been nominated for other awards as well.

“In the Garden of Iden” is the first novel in the “Company” series and was released in the year 1997.The Company helps to preserve extinct life forms and pieces of art, for a heavy price of course. Orphans from the past are recruited, then made pretty much immortal and then they are trained to serve both the Company (the company is also called Dr. Zeus, Inc.). One orphan is Mendoza, a botanist. She is sent to England, during the Elizabethan period, to get samples from Sir Walter Iden’s garden. She meets Nicholas Harpole, while she is there, whom she falls in love with. This great love is going to change things throughout the centuries.

Fans of the novel found the way that time travel was used here to be great. The novel itself has interesting characters, funny sections to it, and real history is a part of what is supposed to be a speculative fiction novel. Some found that Mendoza has a unique voice and she was great to hear from in the book. Baker does a good job at making the botany parts enjoyable and there were some surprises that the characters provide the story with. Readers liked that this novel provides a brand new take on the whole idea of time travel.

“Sky Coyote” is the second novel in the “Company” series and was released in the year 1999. Joseph (who is a facilitator) is quite the guy. He has been around. He has hung around with an Egyptian priest, an Athenian politician, a Roman senator’s secretary, and gone sailing with Phoneicians. Joseph is an immortal cyborg that works for the Company. He finds himself in 1699 in the Lost City in the Mayan Jungle. It is really a spa that Company operatives use. He is with Mendoza (the botanist), and she has not forgiven him for that thing that happened in Elizabethan England. Joseph must save these ancient people from being encroached on by the white men that are coming. He may just have to convince them that it is best for them to step into the future.

Fans of the novel found that they were surprised at just how great these books are. This is something that happens each and every time they take a break from them; it is like they are finding this series all over again for the first time and they fall in love, each time. Some found that this second book is more what readers will be able to expect for the rest of the series, not book one. There is quite a bit of humor in this one, not to mention great storytelling. There is quite a bit of hints as to what is to come next in the series; with more questions here about what exactly is going on.

All Gabriel Allon fans will be eagerly anticipating this one - your favourite spy is back in The New Girl, coming to bookshelves in mid-July. In this one, a girl is kidnapped from an exclusive private school in Switzerland and Gabriel Allon is brought on board to find her. More Details.

Recommendations

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Featured Series

if you are a fan of Jack Reacher you need to read the "Peter Ash" series by Nick Petrie. Endorsed by Lee Child himself, this is a fantastic book series and is the best recommendation I can give for any fans of Reacher. More details.

Featured Author

If you’re a fan of standalone thrillers then be sure to read any of the standalones by Brad Parks. The guy is a master! I’ve read over 50 different authors of standalone thrillers in the last year and no-one stands out like Brad. More Details.

Did You Know…

Brian Haig's father was former U.S. Secretary of State Alexander Haig.